


Turbulence

by clover71



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Alternate Professions, Alternate Universe, Aviation Verse, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love Again, Getting Back Together, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Pilots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:49:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26061433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clover71/pseuds/clover71
Summary: Blind panic had made Masato tell his father he was engaged to airline captain Jinguji Ren. Then the simple white lie started to snowball.First Ren insisted that to avoid embarrassment they let the engagement stand indefinitely. Then he decided that they must marry. He had his own reasons, but even a marriage in name only was more than Masato could agree to.But Ren was a very persuasive man..- - -
Relationships: Jinguuji Ren/Hijirikawa Masato
Comments: 5
Kudos: 27
Collections: Unconventional Courtship





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> \- This is my entry for the Unconventional Courtship 2020 writing challenge at Dreamwidth. https://unconventionalcourtship.dreamwidth.org/
> 
> \- The summary was taken from a Harlequin Romance novel entitled Turbulent Covenant by Jessica Steele. I've never read the book so I have no idea what the story is. The challenge was to take a summary from any Harlequin or Mills & Boon novels then use that as the prompt to write the story.
> 
> \- I know nothing about aviation. I just liked the photos of STARISH in pilot uniforms in the Shining Airlines photoshoot so I used that as an inspiration. The image used for the story's cover is credited to Broccoli, by the way. No infringement intended. This is for non-profit purpose. Everything with regards to aviation in this fic is based on what I've researched. Everything else is fictional.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I do not own Uta no Prince-sama and its characters. Copyright remains with Broccoli and A1 Pictures. Some of the locations are based on real places. Other places and names of establishments are fictional. Any resemblance to existing business is coincidental.  
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> * * *

His hand had gone rigid, the iPad almost slipping out of his grip. Masato blinked, hoping that his eyes were only deceiving him. But the ginger blond man was still there, tucked at the back of the cabin, on the least wanted seat in the plane, eyes trained on the magazine he was holding.

_What is he doing here?_

It had been — What? Eight years? — since he last saw Jinguji Ren. The man had chosen his career over him, left for London where he would be working for a prestigious airline the morning after they shared a passionate night and Masato would be lying if he so claimed that that didn't break him. But he wasn't that selfish to hold Ren back either. So with a heavy heart, he let Ren go and focused on his own career instead. 

Kurosaki Ranmaru was already done programming the flight management computer when Masato slid into the cockpit. He looked up from the controls and asked, "You done with the walk-around?" then lines appeared on his forehead as he watched Masato strap himself into the right seat. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Please tell me he's not deadheading," Masato told Kurosaki, still hoping for the possibility that Ren could be flying home to spend Christmas with his family and wasn't on his plane for a job assignment transfer.

Kurosaki barked a laugh, silver eyes glinting. "You mean Jinguji? Yep. He's deadheading all right. I heard the airline made him an offer he couldn't resist."

 _No. Please. Dear heavens. He couldn't be…_

Masato wasn't one to listen to rumors, but it was hard to ignore people coming up to him and blatantly saying, "We've heard there will be a new captain for the seven-six-seven-three hundred," which could be any of the five 767-300 Shining Airlines owns. But then Kurosaki revealed that he'd been in simulation training for the new 787-10 that the company had acquired and that operations preferred a younger captain to handle the new and more advanced aircraft. With all that knowledge, everything seemed to fall into place. 

So when they landed at Haneda twelve hours later and he dropped off his report at the airline's office at the airport, he wasn't surprised to see Jinguji Ren there, flocked by female flight attendants.

"So he's back." Ichinose Tokiya had sidled next to him, eyes fixed on Ren. 

"Ichinose." Masato was still hopeful and he couldn't hide the desperation in his voice when he said, "Please tell me you were accepted for the captaincy and will be the one replacing Kurosaki-senpai once he's transferred to the latest seven-eight-seven."

Ichinose's eyes softened and he offered Masato a timid smile. "Sorry, Hijirikawa-san. But I didn't get the job. Lack of years of experience and all that. So I’m stuck being Kotobuki-san's first officer for a while."

"Hijirikawa-san," someone called out and he saw one of the ops personnel approaching. "The President wants to see you at the office."

"The President?" Masato wondered what Saotome was doing there. The owner of Shining Airlines rarely graced the airport office with his presence. Intrigued, he marched over to the department head's office where he was directed. 

Ren was seated in front of the boss's desk with his legs crossed and looking comfortable as he did. 

"Ah. Mister Hijirikawa," Saotome said, gesturing for him to take the seat across Ren. "This won't take long. I know you have yet to travel to Kyoto for the holidays." 

That was right. Masato worked his ass off to reach the maximum required hours a few days before Christmas so he could take the two weeks off. He promised his sister he would be home for the holidays this year, and that was exactly what he was doing. 

"I assume you know Mister Jinguji," Saotome said with an implication that he knew more than them being ordinary acquaintances. Masato only nodded in response, trying his best not to meet Ren's gaze. "He will be your new pilot-in-command since Kurosaki Ranmaru will be pulled out of the line to complete his training for the new seven-eight-seven. Mister Jinguji will also be on a holiday break but I expect you two to coordinate for your first flight after the New Year."

"Yes sir." Masato was quick to jump on his feet as soon as Saotome dismissed them. And he willed his legs to move faster once he was out the door but the grip on his arm prevented him from moving further.

"Hijirikawa," Ren said, eyes pleading. So they're back to the last name basis without honorifics. Masato was fine with that. Distant and detached. "How have you been?"

How had he been? The nerve of Ren to ask. After he'd dumped him and flew across the world to gain impressive credentials working for one of the top British airlines, he now had the gall to ask Masato how he'd been.

"I've been great." Masato made sure to flash his teeth while easing his arm out of Ren's grip with reserved poise. He bent forward in a bow, said, "Sayonara. I'll be seeing you in two weeks," then pivoted around and fished his phone out of his pocket in pretense that he was making a phone call just so Ren wouldn't dare approach him again.

The spot where Ren had touched him still tingled, even after he'd left the airport and was boarding the bullet train to Kyoto. His heart was beating a hundred miles a minute, his head spinning faster than a jet engine.

_Damn him!_

Focus. He needed to focus. But the thought of Jinguji Ren haunted him even as he settled in his old room at his Kyoto home. 

"Oniichama!" Mai burst into his bedroom without knocking then threw herself at him, arms clamping over his shoulders. "You made it!"

Masato held her close. "I promised, didn't I?" He hadn't realized how much he'd missed his sister. "So how's school?" She had just started college this spring and even though they kept in touch through email, Masato was still eager to hear her stories.

"Before that, I need to warn you." Mai held him at arm's length, the grave expression that crossed her face didn't sit well with him. "You do know Father's been trying to hook you up with his business associates' daughters?" Masato only nodded, not liking where this was going. He remembered how his father had practically started planning his wedding with this girl whose name escaped him the last time he came home. That was one of the reasons why he'd stayed away for the past two years. And now… "Well, he's invited the owner of Neu Bank for dinner? And I hear he's bringing his daughter along for you to meet."

Perfect. "He still hasn't accepted the fact that I'm not interested in women, has he?" Masato wasn't at all surprised.

Mai only shrugged. "You know how stubborn he can be."

Yes, Masato definitely knew how much of a pain his father could be. He ruffled his sister’s hair. “Thanks for warning me, kiddo.”

“Oniichama! Not the hair!” Mai griped, brushing her hair back in place with her fingers. “And you’re welcome. I”ll leave you so you can rest and I’ll see you at dinner, okay?” She gave him a peck on his cheek then rushed out of his room with a wave of her hand.

*

If it weren’t for his sister, Masato would’ve come up with a thousand excuses not to join his father for dinner. It was suffocating to be around him. But Mai insisted so he was forced to bring out one of his finest yukata. 

He was getting all the things he needed for a bath when his phone rang and Ichinose Tokiya's name flashed on the screen.

"Ichinose," he said as soon as he pressed the phone against his ear.

"It's me." It wasn't Ichinose's voice that came through though. It was the familiar drawl that made his skin prickle, even to this day. "Ichi, Ran-chan and I are out drinking," Ren said, the old nickname he had given Ichinose since they were in the academy spilling out like there weren't years of separation that stood between them. "I would've invited you to come along if you were still here in Tokyo."

"Well I'm already in Kyoto and have no time to talk, Jinguji," Masato said while resuming his task of filling a basket with all the toiletries he would need. "I'm about to have dinner with my family and we have guests coming."

"Why do you sound like you're about to be beheaded, hmm?" Ren's hum curled up a notch, something he usually did to coax Masato to spill more than he should.

"Because my sister warned me that my father might attempt to rope me into another arranged marriage."

"Ran-chan did say he had a feeling something like that would happen." There was a rustling on Ren's end and he muttered something unintelligible, probably to Kurosaki and Ichinose. Then he said, "How are you planning to get out of this, Hijirikawa?"

"To be honest? I have no idea." Masato's last stunt ended up in a disaster. Something he'd rather not talk about.

Then Ren just had to ask, "How did you change your father's mind the last time?" 

Perfect. Should he tell or should he not? It was funny though, how comfortable he felt talking to Ren as if they didn't lose touch for eight years. So comfortable that he ended up blurting, "I dated someone right after my father told me I was going to marry this woman I hardly knew."

"Really?" There was a hint of amusement in Ren's voice and something else that Masato would rather not dwell on because he was probably imagining it. "Someone I know?" There was no way Ren would feel jealous, right? 

"I don't think so." Masato was so not going to give Ren in-depth details of his dating history.

"Then why don't you start dating someone again? That should get your father off your back," was Ren's suggestion.

"I don't think the same trick will work on him." And Masato wouldn't dare drag anyone else in this mess. His father practically scared the poor guy away.

"Then tell him you're getting married," Ren said like it was the most brilliant idea ever. "To me."

 _What?_ Did Masato hear it right? He was shocked speechless but he did manage to croak out, "What?"

"Tell him I'm back in Japan and that we recently got engaged," Ren said as if this absurd idea was a story his father would believe. "When was the last time you went home anyway?"

"Almost two years ago." Why Masato was still entertaining Ren was beyond him.

"Then you can tell him we've been seeing each other for the past year." Ren probably had too much to drink. Yup. That could explain why he was spouting all this nonsense. 

"That is the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard, Jinguji." 

There was a soft knock on the door, followed by "Masato-sama. Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes."

So Masato said, "I have to go. I'll see you in two weeks," and pressed the key to end the call before Ren could throw in a rebuttal.

  


  



	2. Chapter 2

  


The woman's name was Nanami Haruka — demure-looking, pretty in her own rights, and less flashy than the last girl. Her straight, chin-length red-orange hair made her look 18 rather than 28. She seemed shy, a bit soft-spoken, her voice could barely be heard when Masato's father bombarded her with questions.

"So what do you do for work, Miss Nanami?" Hijirikawa Masaomi asked in a surprisingly gentle tone.

Haruka responded with "I'm a branch manager at the Kyoto branch of Neu Bank, the bank Dad owns," the quiver in her voice quite palpable.

"Oh yes, that's right." Masaomi turned to Masato and explained that "Nanami-san and I have just come to an agreement that my investment in their bank can help them branch out to the Kanto region." Of course, as the owner of the Hijirikawa Finance Group, Masaomi had control over mid-sized banks within the Kansai region. "That's why your marriage with Nanami Haruka can cement our partnership."

The first thing that came to Masato's mind when his father mentioned the Kanto region was Jinguji so he ended up blurting, "Isn't the Kanto region run by the Jinguji Finance Group?"

"Yes. But the late Old Jinguji, bless his soul, and I had an agreement that I could handle branches of banks with head offices based in Kyoto," his father explained. "But I guess I have to speak with the current head of the Jinguji Finance Group. I hear Jinguji Seiichirou is a tougher nut to crack."

"Right," Nanami-san — Haruka's father — said. Then he cleared his throat, eyes on Masato when he said, "I hear you're a pilot."

"I am," was Masato's automatic response. 

"Hmm. So you must really be a busy man, which means setting up a date for the wedding may be difficult," Nanami-san said conversationally as if Masato had already agreed to this preposterous arrangement. "Perhaps we can schedule it some time in June? Will you be able to request for a vacation by then?"

"I'm sure that can be arranged," his father said, eyes full of threat as they pin Masato with a glare that was fierce enough to break down his defenses.

"I can't marry her," jumped out of Masato's mouth before he could collect his thoughts.

His father had one eyebrow arched when he asked, "Why not?"

_Shit, shit, shit._ Masato was so not ready for this. Ren's image started dancing around his head. "Because I'm already engaged." 

"Engaged?" A hint of skepticism and incredulity spread across his father's face. "Is it to anyone I know?"

"Yes." Masato threw all caution to the wind and said, "Jinguji Ren."

"The late Jinguji's third son?" was Nanami-san's reaction.

His father was visibly fuming, his face had gone all crimson, eyebrows pinched, and frown lines grew more prominent on his forehead. "Jinguji Ren," Masaomi said as if the name tasted acrid on his tongue. "And when did you two get back together?"

Keeping a stolid facade wasn't difficult for Masato. He was pretty much used to wearing it, especially around his father. So he managed to say, "More than a year ago," with a straight face.

"How come I hadn't heard of it?" his father then asked. 

It wasn't like his father still kept tabs of him. Masato knew his father had given up keeping 'eyes' on him after he had foiled his father's last attempt to rope him into an arranged marriage. So Masato pointed out, "We hardly talk."

His father's eyes skip over to Mai. "Did you know about this?"

Mai, quite a good actress that she was, said, "Of course, but it wasn't my secret to reveal," with an eye-roll.

Then his father's gaze slid down to Masato's hand. "Why aren't you wearing a ring then? Isn't it customary for someone to give you a ring when he proposes?"

Shit. Masato hadn't really thought of that. He could hear Ren's voice in his head that he ended up saying, "What makes you think Ren was the one who proposed?" in the usual Jinguji fashion.

His father had one skeptic eyebrow raised. "Because I don't think you have it in you to make such a bold move."

The grudge that Masato had kept buried in his chest flared up. With a challenging stare, he told his father, "You'd be surprised at what I can do."

*

It was a long night and all Masato wanted was to pass out under the covers. Just as he was climbing on the bed, his phone chimed and when he grabbed it to check, he wasn't all too surprised to see a message from Ren. The man had given his contact information through a message sent while Masato was having dinner so Masato had been able to save it.

**From: Jinguji R.  
Hey. How did it go?**

Masato made a mental note to berate Ichinose for giving Ren his email address and phone number. He was pretty sure Kurosaki wouldn't betray him so it must have been Ichinose but Masato didn't bother asking Ren. 

**To: Jinguji R.  
I did what you suggested, told my father we're engaged.**

**From: Jinguji R.  
Did he believe you?**

Did he? Masato remembered his father's expressions all throughout the conversation.

**To: Jinguji R.  
I'm sure he has his doubts. He'll probably send someone to snoop around my private life again.**

**From: Jinguji R.  
We have to make our engagement believable then.**

**To: Jinguji R.  
And how, pray tell, do we make it believable?**

**From: Jinguji R.  
Can I see you tomorrow? I can take a bullet train to Kyoto.**

Masato was so not ready to see Ren so soon. His heart would not be able to take it.

**To: Jinguji R.  
Nah. I promised Mai I'd spend the next three days with her alone.**

No response came for the next couple of minutes and Masato was starting to think Ren had already fallen asleep. Then.

**From: Jinguji R.  
Can we go on a video call? Right now?**

Masato knew deep inside he shouldn't indulge Ren. The man had practically disappeared from his life for eight years and by some twist of fate, they had recently crossed paths so welcoming Ren with open arms was a bad idea. But he knew how persuasive Ren could be so.

**To: Jinguji R.  
Fine. But only for a short while. I do want to get some rest.**

His phone rang only seconds after he had sent Ren his contact information. And strange how his heart did a backflip the moment Ren's face appeared on his phone's screen.

"Hey," Ren said, eyes spoke volumes of how tired he was. He was clearly in a bedroom so Masato presumed he had already parted with Ichinose and Kurosaki.

"Where are you at?" Not that Masato was interested, but that was the only thing that popped up in his head.

"In a hotel. In Tokyo. I'll head over to my brother's place in Kanagawa tomorrow to spend Christmas with his family. You know, his wife grew up in New York so she's pretty big on celebrating the holidays.." Ren shifted and the blanket covering him slid down to reveal a shirtless torso. He probably still slept naked but Masato was so not going there.

Masato forced his mind to make a detour and the safest topic he could come up with was "You look tired, Jinguji. Get some rest."

"So are we back on a last name basis, Hijirikawa?" Ren said with a teasing lilt. "You know, one way to make your father believe we're back together and will be getting married soon is for you to start calling me Ren again. Right, Masa?"

Masato wanted to remind Ren that he started it, that Ren was the first to call him by his last name, but Masato chose not to make an issue out of it. "Fine. But don't let it get to your head, okay?"

"Sure, sure." Ren tucked one arm behind his head. "So how's Mai? I bet she has grown up into a dashing young lady now. Last time I saw her she was like what? Ten, maybe?"

"Yeah." Masato remembered how Ren used to spoil her like crazy. "She's eighteen now."

"I'd like to see her some time," Ren said with a wistful smile.

"She's in college so she's pretty busy. But that can be arranged." Masato wanted to hit his head against the wall as soon as the words flowed out of his mouth. What was he saying? Was he actually willing to reconnect with this man who left him eight years ago? 

Masato knew he dug his own grave when Ren said, "I'll take that as a promise," and followed up with a flirty wink that shouldn't have sent tingles up Masato's spine..

The soft, rhythmic knock on the door was just the excuse Masato needed to tear his eyes off his phone. Before he could utter a word though, the door was pushed open and his sister's head popped through the gap and she said,. "Hey. Just wanted to say goodnight."

"Is that Mai I hear?" Ren asked.

"Oh, sorry. Were you talking to someone?" Mai said although Masato could tell it was all an act. She must have heard his voice and curiosity egged her to come knocking.

"It's J— just Ren." Masato almost said Jinguji and that could have blown their cover right there and then.

Mai's face lit up then she jumped right into the bed, shoved her face in front of the phone. "Rennii-san! Oh wow, you've grown more handsome!"

"And you're all grown up. I knew you'd be a very gorgeous lady." Ren used a similar line to flatter girls when they were in their teens and Masato had considered that as nothing but meretricious praises. But this time, Masato could hear a trace of sincerity and honesty in Ren's tone when talking to Mai.

"So it's true that you and Oniichama are back together and you're getting married?" Mai said that with a squeal. 

"It's true, Sweetie. And you'll be the bridesmaid. The maid of honor even." That sounded pretty convincing coming from Ren, earning another squeal from Mai.

"Alright, you two. It's getting pretty late." Masato just knew that if he didn't step in, Ren and Mai could go on forever. "I'm sure Ren needs to rest as much as I do since we were in the same flight earlier." He coaxed Mai to move aside so he could have a better view of his phone just in time to see Ren yawn. 

"Yeah," Ren surprisingly agreed. "I can feel jet lag rearing its ugly head." He punctuated that with another yawn.

"Get some rest." Masato told Ren. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay. Goodnight, Babe. Love you," Ren said without any hint of teasing, like he really meant it. 

Masato had to shake himself out of the effect Ren's words had in him. "Goodnight." And since he could feel Mai's eyes on him, probably watching him with anticipation, he added, "Love you, too," then pressed the key to end the damn call. 

"You two are so sweet you're giving me a toothache," Mai said, hugging a pillow.

"Go back to your room, Mai. Or else, I'm heading back to Tokyo tomorrow." Masato's threat had Mai scrambling out of the bed.

"Alright, alright." Mai paused before closing the door. "Thanks for coming home, Oniichama. I'll see you in the morning."

  


  



	3. Chapter 3

  


The four days spent at the Hijirikawa mansion felt like torture and would have been worse if it hadn't been for his sister's presence. But when Mai informed him she was flying to Takamatsu after Christmas to meet up with their mother who was spending the holidays with her sister, Masato decided to cut his stay in Kyoto short and headed home to his apartment in Tokyo.

He could've gone with his sister. Booking a flight at short notice would've been no problem since he had connections. But his instincts told him he had to go back home.

Just as he was about to step into his apartment, the door to the unit next to his opened. Curiosity held him up at the threshold. The last time he was home, that unit was unoccupied. 

His heart nearly leaped out of his chest when Ren walked out of that apartment and his eyes immediately landed on Masato.

"Oh hey, you're back," Ren said as if it was a normal thing that happened often.

"What are you doing here?" flew out of Masato's mouth on impulse.

"Oh, I asked Ichi to help me find a place to stay and he told me there was an available unit in his building."

Of course. Ichinose lived on the floor above Masato with his boyfriend, Ittoki, who worked at the same airline as a flight attendant.

"Listen," Ren said, pocketing his keys. "I was about to rush over to the supermarket to pick up a few things. Since you're back, why not have dinner at my place?"

Masato knew it was a harmless invitation. Besides, if he was going to work closely with Ren, then he had no choice but to reconnect with this man so he said, "Sure," and that was how they parted.

Ren left for his errand and Masato finally dragged his luggage into his apartment, headed straight to his bedroom and dove face first into his bed. Soon, he felt the exhaustion from the trip pull at him as if he was being dragged down into a well.

Next thing that nudged at Masato's conscious thought was the persistent ringing and vibration against his hip. He sprang up and pulled out his phone from his pant pocket, saw Ren's name flashing on the screen then noticed it was nearly dark outside. _Shoot._

"Jinguji," Masato said as soon as he pressed the phone against his ear.

"It's Ren, remember?" Ren said in his usual buttery voice. "And I figured you must've fallen asleep so I thought I'd call you and let you know dinner will be ready in an hour."

Oh. Right. Dinner. Masato struggled to come up with an excuse to get out of it but then his stomach grumbled in defiance. He barely had anything for lunch, just a piece of melonpan, and now he was famished but wasn't in the mood to whip up anything for himself. He could have something delivered, but Ren would know and then it would escalate to him being rude for turning down Ren's dinner invitation so.

"Masa?"

Hearing his name spoken like a prayer yanked him out of his rumination. "Sorry. I think I need some caffeine in my system first."

"Why don't you come over now? I have fresh Jamaican coffee beans. And I need to break in the coffee maker. I just got it this morning." Ren did have the power to persuade and it wasn't that Masato couldn't resist. He just needed some coffee.

"Alright. Let me just change." Masato couldn't believe he slept in his travel clothes. At least he managed to slip his coat off. A pair of jeans, a simple tee and a warm sweatshirt was casual enough so Ren wouldn't think Masato was dressing up for the occasion. And he was grateful for the choice of outfit because Ren was wearing something similar.

"I have the coffee brewing," was the first thing out of Ren's mouth when he opened the door. "Make yourself at home." 

Ren's apartment basically has the same structure as his but it was barely furnished. There were boxes stacked up on one corner of what would be the living room. There wasn't any couch, just a couple of floor pillows, a kotatsu and a dining table on the opposite side. "When did you move in?"

"Two days ago." Ren was busy puttering in the kitchen. "Some of the furniture I ordered will be delivered tomorrow. I know I should've hired an interior decorator but I thought why waste money when I won't be home most of the time anyway."

Masato leaned against the kitchen island and watched Ren pour coffee into a couple of mugs. "I can help you. In setting up the place, I mean." 

Ren's face lit up. "Thanks. I'd like that." He refused to let Masato help prepare dinner though. Ren had him sit at the dining table with his coffee while they talked about their common friends. "So Ichi and Ikki finally got together, huh?"

"Yeah. You have no idea how exhausting it was to watch Ichinose and Ittoki dance around each other for four years." Masato was often at the receiving end of Ichinose's emotional panic. 

"I wish I was around to see that." Ren took a sip of his coffee, eyes straying over to the window. "Ichi told me Shinomi, Ochibi-chan and Aimi are still working as flight operations officers."

Apparently, Ren hadn't forgotten the pet names he had given to almost everyone close to them. Masato wanted to point that out but decided to let it slide. "They are. Shinomiya and Kurusu are often the ones who handle the reports for my flights. Mikaze Ai handles short hauls mostly." 

"And what's the deal with Ran-chan and Bukki?" The two airline captains, Kotobuki Reiji and Kurosaki Ranmaru, were the recent headliners in Shining Airlines' gossip circuit so it was no surprise that Ren would be curious about them. Ren watched Masato as if anticipating his response.

Masato took his time though, brought his coffee mug up to his lips and savored the strong taste of roasted beans sliding on his tongue before saying, "They're like a puzzle most difficult to solve. But in my opinion, I think Kotobuki-senpai's teasing is nothing but a mask to hide how much he cares for Kurosaki-senpai. While Kurosaki-senpai… Well, you know how much of a tsundere he is."

Ren sniggered. "That was exactly what I told Ran-chan when he started ranting about Bukki while drunk off his ass."

"What did he say?"

"He threatened to throw me out of the bar." Ren turned around to check the chicken fillet that he had left simmering in a pan with white sauce. Then he was pouring it in a deep plate.

At least he allowed Masato to help scoop rice into bowls and set the table.

"Oh. Almost forgot. I broke the news to my brother that we're engaged," Ren said so casually that it sounded… well, real.

"What did he say?" Masato wasn't really worried about Seiichirou's reaction. The older Jinguji had always been kind to him, not just for the sake of being civil, but Seiichirou once told him how much he respected Masato's guts to stand up against his father and follow his dream. That was all because Masato had Ren to back him up at that time.

Ren chewed on the piece of chicken he had shoved on his mouth. "He was surprised — positively surprised, that is — and he asked why you never mentioned we've gotten back together since he said he had ran into you several times over the last year."

"What did you tell him?"

Ren's shoulders rose and fell in a languid shrug. "Just told him that we made a vow to keep it a secret." He was about to pop another piece of meat into his mouth but then stopped to say, "Oh. And he's inviting us to spend the New Year in his place."

Well Masato had no plans now so he said, "Okay."

"Also. Your birthday is in three days. Do you have any plans?" Ren cocked his head as if already expecting Masato would say that he didn't wish to celebrate so Masato just shook his head and waited to hear what Ren had in mind. "Well, if you don't mind spending it with me, let me take care of it."

  


  



	4. Chapter 4

  


Masato should've known that giving Ren the reins to make plans for his birthday would mean he would have to give up his desire for a much-needed 48 hours sleep. The next day, Ren was pounding on his door only to tell Masato to start packing because they were going on a ski trip the next day.

"Ski trip?" Masato had to make sure he heard it right.

"Yep," Ren said, looking all smug. "We made plans to go after high school and also after we graduated from flight school. But we never pushed through so now's the perfect time to do it."

So Masato had to dig out his skiing-appropriate clothes from the deepest recesses of his closet. "The last time I went skiing was three years ago when I landed on the same week-long break with Ichinose, Ittoki and Aijima. And I ended up babysitting Aijima after he slammed against a tree." Aijima Cecil was Ittoki Otoya's half brother. He practically grew up in the desert so he was a complete stranger to snow and skiing, for that matter.

Ren's laughter bounced around the room. "I remember Ceshi used to drop by the airport to pick up some things from Ikki back then. So he did end up working as a flight attendant as well?"

"Yeah, we're usually part of the same crew." Masato managed to fit all his skiing outfits and some casual clothes in his luggage.

Come the next day, he was mentally prepared to sit in the bullet train for an hour and a half on their way to Nagano while listening to Ren give an account of his life in England.

Masato was struck with excitement as soon as they dropped off their things at the hotel. "Can we go check out the slopes?"

Soft laughter fluttered out of Ren's mouth. "Maybe we should rent our gears first before they run out."

Of course. "Good idea."

"Have you ever tried snowboarding?" Ren asked on their way to the rental shop.

"Once, and never got the hang of it," Masato admitted. Ittoki was the one who tried to teach him but Ittoki panicked more than Masato did. At least Masato was able to learn the basics.

"Then you can add free snowboarding lessons as my birthday gift."

As if covering the expenses for this entire trip wasn't enough but Masato wasn't complaining. He would be a hypocrite if he claimed he didn't miss this — being spoiled by Ren.

They spent the first half of the day snowboarding. Masato preferred to have Ren teach him over hiring a professional instructor. Ren was much more patient than Ittoki was so Masato was already confident going down the slope by noon.

After lunch, they took a leisure walk around the village. On their way back to the hotel, his sister called to ask, "Would you like me to fly over to Tokyo to keep you company on your birthday?"

Masato hadn't expected her to offer so he felt bad knowing he wouldn't have the chance to see her before he returned to work. "I'm in Hakuba on a ski trip, Mai. I'm with Ren."

Mai squealed so loud that Masato had to pull the phone away from his ear. "Oh gosh. So you guys just enjoy. I told mom about the engagement, by the way, and she's super happy to hear Rennii-san is back. Say hi to Rennii-san for me."

As soon as the call ended, Ren said, "I heard her loud and clear."

The second half of the day was all skiing. He and Ren agreed to just go with the intermediate slopes, not wanting to risk getting injured since they have a scheduled flight in a week's time.

They had a casual dinner at a yakiniku and he was so tired when they got back to their room that Masato thought he would pass out as soon as his back hit the mattress. He was wrong.

Sleep seemed like a distant goal. A thousand thoughts swam around his head. Masato fought the urge to toss and turn so he stayed put on his side, his back to Ren. They were sharing a room, not only because it was fully booked but Ren thought their faux engagement would look more convincing, in case his father would send people to snoop around. 

Hours probably rolled by and just as Masato started to feel that slow pull of slumber, he heard Ren say, "Hijirikawa, you awake?"

Masato wanted to pretend he was already asleep but his mouth betrayed him, letting the word, "Yeah," slip out before he could stop it.

"It's midnight. Happy birthday, Masa." 

Masato couldn't resist the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Thanks, Ren." Drowsiness soon settled over him like a warm blanket, lulling him to sleep.

*

Ren was already up and about when Masato peeled his eyes open the next morning. "I'm going for a quick run. We'll have breakfast when I get back," Ren said and he was out the door before Masato could say a word.

Masato could have gone with Ren but his legs were still asleep. It took him fifteen minutes before he found the energy to head to the bathroom. He had showered and was dressed for strolling by the time Ren got back, so eager to get the day started so he asked, "So what's today's agenda?"

"First, I need to shower." Ren grabbed a change of clothes and headed straight to the bathroom. 

Masato checked his phone for messages while he waited. There were a lot of birthday wishes from friends, colleagues and his sister. The airline operations manager, Hyuuga Ryuya, started with a birthday greeting followed by his schedule for the month of January. 

Most of the flights are within Asia. Normally, he would bid to fly to the US and South America at the beginning of the year. But Masato wanted to start close to home this time. He was going through his roster when Ren came out of the bathroom all dressed and refreshed.

"C'mon. Let's go grab breakfast," Ren said as soon as he slipped on his shoes but he grabbed Masato by the wrist just as Masato was heading out the door. "Almost forgot. Happy birthday."

"You already said that when midnight struck, remember?"

"Well, yeah, but I haven't done this." Ren pressed a kiss on his cheek then he held Masato's hand and led Masato out of the room.

After breakfast, they agreed to ski on a different slope — a harder one but still on the safe side. Pine trees were lined along the edge of the skiing path. There was a nasty bend where a turn can potentially go wrong and anyone could end up flying straight into those trees. But for Masato, it wasn't all that challenging.

The thrill of having gravity take control was exactly what Masato needed. It was absolutely liberating. 

They were on a chairlift on their way back to the village for lunch when Ren said, "I'm sorry for leaving," without so much of a preamble. 

Masato's brain was caught in a deadlock. He wasn't expecting Ren to apologize for something that should be buried in their history journals while they were 70 feet or so up in the air. Masato hadn't found his voice by the time they reached the end station and Ren didn't push for a response.

Come afternoon, Ren decided to rent a snowmobile so they could just ride around the mountain. 

"Why did you get only one?" Masato asked, eyeing the orange and white motor sled. 

"Because we only need one," Ren said as he hopped onto the front area of the vehicle, which meant he was the one driving. 

Masato didn't want to create a scene — there were several people around them, with children even — so he planted himself right behind Ren, slid his goggles on, shoved the helmet onto his head and clamped his hands around the bars behind him.

Ren's head turned on an angle enough for Ren to look at him askance. "You're most likely to fall holding on to that," he said, one corner of his mouth lifted. "Don't be shy. Get your arms around me."

"You wish." Masato tightened his grip on the bar when the engine came to life and his heart nearly leaped out of his chest when Ren took the motor sled down a curved slope at an unforgiving speed. His arms flew around Ren's middle on impulse. "Damn you, Jinguji!" 

They made a stop at a high spot where they had a breathtaking view of the mountain range. 

Ren's chest rose and fell as he took a deep breath. "It's good to be back home."

Those words nudged something inside Masato that had him saying, "It's nice to have you back," before the rational part of his brain could stop him.

They returned to the resort by sundown, all refreshed instead of feeling tired. At least Masato was. 

Dinner apparently was another surprise. Ren had ordered a cake — a small, round cake with a toy airplane as design. It was a bit embarrassing because the restaurant staff burst into a birthday song while they brought it over to their table. Ren coaxed, "Make a wish, Masa," as soon as he lit the candle.

For some reason, Masato wished Ren would stay for good but he wasn't about to let Ren know. He just blew the flames out and sucked in the applause that rippled around them. The bubbly feeling in his chest stayed with him until the next morning when they left the resort. 

"I hope you had a good birthday," Ren said while they were on a bullet train bound to Tokyo.

A smile tugged at the corners of Masato's mouth. "I did. Thank you, Ren."

The warmth in Ren's eyes melted the outer layers of ice around his heart and Masato couldn't help but swoon — internally, of course — when Ren said, "Anything for you, Masa. Anything for you."

  


  



	5. Chapter 5

  


They were on a shopping rush for half the day all because they fell asleep when they got back from Nagano the day before.

It had gotten dark when Masato woke up and was way past dinner so he just rushed over to the convenient store across their building and grabbed some of those microwaveable meals for him and Ren. It took half an hour for him to wake up Ren who had apparently passed out cold. 

Ren only remembered he had not bought any presents for his niece and nephew that morning so Masato offered to help him with the shopping and all. 

Masato hadn't driven his car for more than a month. It was a good thing that the security people at his apartment building were kind enough to drive it around while he was away, otherwise, his car would have had problems starting up.

The drive to Kanagawa was short, not enough time for Masato to compose himself before facing Ren's brother as Ren's fiance. 

Seiichirou was the one who greeted them at the door. To Masato's surprise, Seiichirou gathered him in his arms in a bone-crushing hug and said, "I'm so happy that you will finally be part of the family, Masato."

Guilt stabbed Masato's conscience like a thousand daggers.

"Ren-ojisan!" came in a high-pitched chorus as two children came bounding over to Ren and threw themselves onto Ren's open arms. 

Seiichirou's wife, Hanako, came out of the kitchen with a welcoming smile sitting on her lips. "Masato, it's been so long." 

Masato first met her when she and Seiichirou got married, just months before Ren left for London. Then he'd met her twice more when Seiichirou invited him over for dinner. The last time he'd been here, their oldest child, Megumi, was barely two years old and the youngest, Kiyoshi, was still a baby.

Now Megumi was six and Kiyoshi was four, according to Ren, and both children were watching him like he was an unusual creature.

Masato crouched close to their level. "You don't remember me, do you?" he asked Megumi.

The little girl shook her head, her pigtails swirling around. "But I know you're Masato-ojisan. Ren-ojisan had shown me your pictures."

"You were still a baby when I last saw you. Look at how much you've grown." Masato patted her head then handed her the bag of presents. He gave Kiyomi his own bag of presents and the two children hurried over to the living room, squealing.

"We're having dinner early so we can all drive over to the park square to watch the fireworks," Hanako announced.

As a habit, Masato offered, "Can I help you at the kitchen?"

But Hanako shook her head, said, "Not this time, Masa-chan. You're an honored guest," in a teasing lilt.

"So I hear you guys will be back in the cockpit on the second," Seiichirou said conversationally, gesturing at the couch in silent invitation. 

So Masato took a seat, said, "Yeah. First flight out is to Hong Kong," and his eyes wandered over to Ren, who was sprawled on the floor with the kids, teaching Kiyoshi how to put his big blocks together.

"Not outside Asia?" Seiichiro asked.

"Yeah. It would be nice to stay close to home for the first month of the year or so." 

Hanako breezes into the room, pushing a rolling tray filled with a teapot and some cups, a small bowl full of sugar cubes and a jar of amber liquid that Masato presumed was honey. "I made some tea." 

"Thank you." Masato took the liberty of pouring himself a cup and prepared one for Ren, remembering how Ren liked his tea mildly sweet so he added just a teaspoon of honey. 

"I shouldn't be surprised that you know how Ren takes his tea," Seiichirou said quite implicitly that made Masato's face burn. "After all, it's been more than a year since you've gotten back together. I still can't help being in awe every time I witness your bond. You two are really meant for each other."

Masato had this strange inkling that his guilt would claw out of him in the form of a giant hand that would drag him underground and straight to hell. _Damn you, Jinguji. What have you gotten me into?_

His eyes stray back to Ren, who was still playing with the kids. He watched as Megumi pressed her new doll's face against Ren's cheek. Then Ren pulled her close and started tickling her, earning a string of giggles from the little girl. Kiyoshi jumped on Ren's back so Ren maneuvered him around until the boy fell on Ren's lap and had a taste of Ren's tickle attack as well.

"He's really good with the kids," Seiichirou said while Masato tried to hide his smile behind his cup. "He always tells me that one of his biggest dreams is raising a lot of children with you."

Masato choked on the tea. It was a good thing that the liquid wasn't going down his throat just yet or else he would be in a coughing fit. "He said that?" he asked Seiichirou the moment he found his voice.

"He'd been saying that for the past eight years." Seiichirou's eyes were kind, had always been to him, at least. He was frightening in his CEO mode. It was easy to tell if he was sincere and that was exactly what Masato read when Seiichirou said, "I think when he met you when you were kids, he knew right then that you're the one."

Something in Masato's chest unraveled. An old feeling he'd kept buried, dormant, but hadn't really dissipated. He didn't quite know what to do with it. He was relieved to hear Hanako call out, "Dinner's ready." It was a much welcome distraction.

Dinner conversation centered more on Seiichirou's investment plans and Hanako's teaching adventures.

It was close to midnight when they drove up to the park square. There was already a thick crowd near the river. Luckily, Seiichirou's assistant and a handful of his employees were there earlier with their respective families. They had saved a spot for them.

The countdown began barely fifteen minutes after they had arrived. Some anime-themed music filled the air followed by a chorus of "Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Happy new year!" from the people around them. There was a loud boom then a string of colorful lights flew up into the sky, spreading like a thousand stars or flowers on fire.

An arm snaked around his waist and before Masato could react, Ren pulled him close, said, "Happy new year, love," then their lips were fused in a soft, lingering kiss.

Masato's head was close to exploding. He almost pushed Ren away but then he heard Hanako say, "Get a room, you two," and he was slapped with the realization that they were supposed to act like an engaged couple.

Ren was probably enjoying this. Damn him!

  


  



	6. Chapter 6

  


They landed in Hong Kong without a hitch. Even though Ren was technically the captain, Masato logged pilot-in-command time for this leg out of habit. Ren didn't seem to mind though so Masato took charge of flying even though the plane was on autopilot for most of the five-hour duration.

When they got to the hotel, Masato heard the usual, "Mister Hijirikawa, nice to see you again," from the front desk officers. This was one of the three hotels the crew regularly used in Hong Kong when they had to stay overnight so the staff knew most of them. 

Ren sidled next to him, said, "I should have a reservation as well," and winked at the girl who was working on her computer then handed her his passport.

Masato stomped down the twinge in his chest and cleared his throat.

"Actually, you're both in one room," the girl said, eyes still on the screen.

"Excuse me?" Masato blurted at the same time Ren said, "Thank you. We'll take the key."

Ren all but dragged him to the elevator and when they were alone in the lift, Masato asked, "What's going on, Jinguji?"

"Later," was all Ren said and a blanket of silence fell over them until a ding bounced around the enclosed space.

Masato snatched the keycard from Ren's hand then surged out of the lift as soon as the door opened and headed straight to their designated room. He slid the key into the slot and when the light indicator turned green, he opened the door, hurried inside and waited for Ren to join him.

As soon as Ren ambled in, Masato spat, "Now explain why we're sharing a room. And no bullshit, Jinguji."

Ren closed the door and sighed. "Your father has started asking around about us. Of course, everyone in the airlines is all 'we don't gossip here' so his people didn't get anything from them." He walked further into the room, tossing his hat on the bed — the only bed in the room. "He'll probably dig further so I thought I'd arrange for us to share a room from now on, that way your father won't doubt we are in a relationship. Of course, I can just get my own room if you're not happy—"

"You don't have to," flew out of Masato's mouth before his brain could function. "I mean, I don't mind this... sharing a room. I just hope you could have told me beforehand."

"Yeah. I should have." Ren swaggered over to him until he was within Masato's breathing space. "But you're father is conniving as fuck. I had to act in secret."

"We just had a five-hour flight. You could have told me on the plane."

"What if your father has eyes and ears among the crew?" Ren isn't breaking eye contact so Ren is clearly not shitting him or anything. And Ren has a point. His father can be a total pain. "Unless you want to tell him the truth and just marry the girl."

"No." Masato hated the way Ren could still twist him around his finger. Actually, he could just tell Ren to fuck off and find some other way to disuade his father from forcing him to marry that woman… or anyone his father chose, for that matter. But for some reason, he wanted to keep clinging onto this arrangement with Ren. "Just… Next time, do warn me if you're going to do something like this."

"I will." Ren moved away from him and Masato's fingers twitched with the urge to pull him back. 

Masato managed to keep cool though and just hauled his luggage into the cabinet. There was no need to unpack. They would leave in the morning anyway.

Ren was getting inside the bathroom when Masato turned around. "Do you need to use it?" Ren asked and when Masato shook his head, he added, "I'm going to take a shower then."

Once Ren had closed the door, Masato quickly went through his luggage for some casual clothes. He was in a hurry so he just grabbed what he could, not caring about color coordination and whatnot. He changed out of his uniform in record time and was out the door in a matter of minutes. He didn't bother telling Ren where he was going. 

In the lift, he checked his reflection. Thank god, he was wearing something decent. Not that he'd pack clothes that would make him look like a circus clown. At least the black collared, long-sleeved shirt with a designer brand's logo printed in front and a pair of khaki pants didn't give out any clue that he dressed up in haste.

There was this restaurant in Hong Kong he liked to frequent, a ten-minute walk away from the hotel. They serve scrumptious noodle dishes and the roasted duck was his favorite. Masato was famished. He woke up late so he hadn't had time to grab some breakfast. Lunchtime rolled by when they were airborne so he only had a sandwich. 

Masato had placed his order and was going through the messages on his phone when Ren breezes into the restaurant, hair still slightly wet. How Ren could make that hideous orange and brown turtleneck shirt look fashionable was beyond Masato. Perhaps it was the black blazer Ren had thrown over it that made it look less like a disaster.

Ren plopped into the seat across him. "Why didn't you wait for me?" 

Wait. Masato didn't leave a word so… "How did you find me?"

The waiter came and took Ren's order and once he was out of earshot, Ren shrugged and said, "Lucky guess?"

Masato's eyes fell on his phone. "Did you set a GPRS tracking on my phone?"

Ren cocked an eyebrow. "Are you accusing me of stalking you, Hijirikawa?"

It took great effort for Masato not to roll his eyes. "I won't be surprised if you are."

Ren slapped his hand against his chest a little too dramatically when he said, "You wound me, my husband-to-be."

Hearing those words from Ren sent Masato's heart soaring higher than their 767. What was wrong with him?

The wait time wasn't that long so the waiter was back in no time to serve their food.

When they walked out of the restaurant nearly an hour later, Ren slung an arm over his shoulders, said, "Why don't we make some memories here," and raised his phone far enough to take a picture of them.

That wasn't the end of it. Ren practically took pictures while they were strolling along the harbor and the park. They stopped in front of every shop they passed just to have their damn selfies.

Ren looked exhausted by the time they retired back to their room for the night. They settled next to each other like it was a usual thing. Masato had his back turned to Ren. Though quiet, Masato could sense Ren was still awake and just to test his theory, he said, "Ren?" in an almost hushed tone.

Ren just hummed, "Hmm?"

Then Masato decided to ask, "Why did you choose to apply for captaincy at Shining Airlines? Why not at your old airline company in London?" out of curiosity. 

A throat-clearing. A sigh. Then Ren said, "There's a low turn-over in that company and they prioritize British pilots over non-locals." There was movement behind him that prompted Masato to turn his head and he saw Ren shifting to lie on his back. "So when Shining heard that I passed the command course but my application had been set aside, he made the offer." 

Masato wondered if that — the promotion — was the only reason why Ren came back. It would be too egotistical to think he had a part to play in Ren's return to Japan. He wanted to ask but then Ren pulled the blanket over Masato's shoulder and said, "Sleep, Masa. We have an early day tomorrow."

Right. Of course. Rest should be his priority. "Good night, Ren." He would just have to ask some other time. Or maybe never.

*

Masato kept his eyes on the altitude indicator and once Ren had brought the plane up to the targeted flight level, Ren reached out to the control panel and switched to autopilot.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. This is your captain, Ren Jinguji, speaking," Ren said in that deep, honeyed voice that, to Masato's chagrin, made girls swoon. "I'd like to welcome everyone on Shining Flight one-seven-two-a. We are, at present, cruising at an altitude of thirty-three thousand feet at an airspeed of four-hundred miles per hour. It is now eight thirty-two a.m. " Ren's English was clear and smooth-flowing, free from any awkward accent. 

"If the weather continues to cooperate, we will arrive at our destination in Osaka, Japan as scheduled." Ren swiped through the cockpit iPad sitting on his left. "The temperature in Osaka is currently at twelve degrees, a little bit cloudy, but it's expected to clear out in the afternoon." He went through the standard safety reminder then ended with , "You will hear from me again before we reach our destination. Until then, sit back, relax and enjoy the flight."

Ren repeated everything in Japanese. When he was done, he took off his headset, picked up his tumbler and slid out of his seat. "I need coffee. You?"

"I'm fine." Masato was monitoring the weather radar. There were no cumulus clouds visible but it didn't mean there wasn't a possibility they could go through a turbulence. "Just don't dawdle."

"You worry too much." Ren planted a kiss on top of his head. "You'll grow old fast that way."

While Ren was gone, Masato constantly checked on the automatic systems to make sure the plane was flying correctly. He was in communication with the air traffic control in Osaka when Ren returned. 

"Any change?" Ren asked.

"None at all, thank heavens." Masato checked his iPad to see if there was any latest weather report from Shinomiya. "Just a warning of an air current once we enter Japan airspace."

"I hope that doesn't give us a bumpy landing. That will surely bruise my reputation," Ren said as he engrafted himself back into his seat.

Masato scoffed. "As if air currents can give you a problem." 

The door to the cockpit opened and Aijima walked in with a tumbler. "Ren asked me to brew you some tea," he said, handing the drink to Masato.

"Thanks, Aijima." Masato took the tumbler off his hand. "Everything okay back there?"

"Yes." Aijima stood next to him, looking like he needed a few minutes break. "Just some toddler twins crying their hearts out for someone or something called Mister Snoofly, whatever that is. I think the mother is close to jumping off the plane."

"That isn't good," Ren said after taking a sip of his coffee.

"Luckily, Camus's charm works even on children," Aijima said. "He gave them ice cream then sang them a song. It calmed them down in seconds."

Their lead flight attendant was something to be reckoned with. 

"Baron is really something, huh?" Ren said, using the nickname he had given Camus. He was among the first cabin crew members Masato and Ren had gotten along with during their early days in Shining Airlines.

"I better get back there," Aijima made a move to leave. "There's a group of rowdy teenagers and a demanding grandpa that I need to keep a lookout for." He raised his hand in a curt wave before disappearing behind the door.

Ren reported their status to air control while Masato took note of their flight pattern.

They were flying over China Sea when Ren said, "I should buy you a ring," out of the blue. "It will make our engagement more… well, believable."

"That's not necessary." Although Masato couldn't deny that Ren, again, had a point. He recalled what his father said during his last visit home. "My father did ask though why I'm not wearing a ring."

"All the more reason why I should buy you one," Ren said with a distinctive finality that Masato knew he wouldn't be able to convince the man otherwise.

They didn't encounter any untoward incident during the flight. The air current had eased up by the time they had entered Japan airspace. So Ren's landing went smoothly, like a graceful swan descending on the still water of a lake. 

They parted ways after getting off the plane. Ren went to file the flight reports and Masato went straight to the crew lounge where he ran into Shinomiya. "Shinomiya. You're still here? I thought you'll be on your way back to Tokyo."

Shinomiya beamed at him. "I was waiting for you and Ren-kun. I thought we could head to Tokyo together."

"Are you taking the bullet train, by any chance?" It was Camus. He had just walked into the lounge. "Would you mind if I join you, if you are?" He pulled the tie off his hair, letting his blond tresses fall loose over his shoulders. He usually kept his hair tied up during flights like Ren.

"Of course, Myu-chan-senpai. The more the merrier," Shinomiya said with a clap of his hands. "Cecil-kun will be coming along, too."

"I guess we should just wait for Jing—" Masato cleared his throat. "I mean, Ren. He's still filing his reports."

"I'll just have a cup of tea while waiting," Camus said, already making his way to the snack corner. "Let me know if we're leaving."

"I'll go find Cecil-kun, then. Don't leave without us." Shinomiya hustled out of the lounge. 

Masato pulled out his phone and turned it on. It buzzed as soon as the screen lit up. There was a message from Ren.

**From: Jinguji R.  
Caught up in an impromptu meeting. Give me ten minutes to make an escape. Have a snack while waiting. Don't miss me too much.**

Masato couldn't resist the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He probably looked like a grinning idiot, staring at his phone with his lips curved up.

  


  



	7. Chapter 7

  


They flew into Beijing to drop off a few passengers. It was a three-hour layover so Ren said, "Come on. We have enough time," while dragging him out of the airport.

"Time for what?" Masato didn't bother resisting after seeing the stubborn determination on Ren's face.

"To buy a ring." Ren led him to a cab waiting outside the building. He must have booked it through the app earlier.

They head straight to Jiffeny's, so Masato was all, "I don't think you should buy an expensive one," knowing how pricey all jewelry sold in the store are. 

"Oh shush. You deserve the world," was all Ren said then he started pointing at the white gold bands on display.

Masato was quick to find one that he liked, not just for the sake of shutting Ren up, but the design grabbed his attention. Fortunately, they have Masato's size on stock so they just had to wait for the engraving. 

As soon as Masato had the ring on his finger, they returned to the airport right away. They had to go through the necessary pre-boarding pre-flight checks before they set off to their final destination for the day.

They arrived in Bangkok after sunset. Masato was no longer surprised they were sharing a room but what he found baffling was that there were two beds this time. He didn't bother asking Ren if it was his idea though.

Ren took him to a restaurant with a name he could hardly pronounce. They sat next to a floor-to-ceiling glass window with a clear view of a flower garden. What made it so enchanting was the swarm of fireflies flying around like glowing dots. 

The waiter came to take their orders and when he left their table, Masato said, "I've been to Bangkok several times over the last nine years but I haven't been to this place.

"They just opened late last year," Ren said. "Around October, I think. I knew you were going to like it here."

"It has a different ambiance for sure." Masato noticed the area where they sat was dimly lit so the only source of light was the fireflies in the garden. "Have you been here before?"

"Just once," Ren said, playing with a paper napkin that he had snatched from a holder on their table. 

Masato was tempted to ask Ren who he had taken with him but no. He wasn't going to pick up a knife and stab his heart with it. 

Their food came in no time. Or perhaps Masato just didn't notice the time. The dish was a masterpiece, like having a taste of heaven. The beef practically melted in his tongue and the vegetables were undoubtedly fresh.

Masato had his eyes on fireflies flying close to the glass window where he sat. It felt like he had stepped into a fairytale book.

Then Ren said, "I know we're supposedly engaged," eyes never leaving Masato's face. "But this is where I would have proposed." He took Masato's hand, thumb rubbing Masato's knuckles. "Or this is where I will propose if we can make this real."

Something unfurled in Masato's chest, a feeling he couldn't name. It swirled around like a cyclone all the way up to his head. "Don't." He snatched his hand back, curled it into fist. "Don't do this. Please Ren, I… I can't." It was too much. The emotion felt tight against his throat that breathing had become difficult. He had to get out of there. He had to get some air. "Don't make me fall in love with you again." 

Masato bolted out of his seat, careened to the main entrance and hastened out of the building. The cool night air brushed against his face. His eyes grew blurry the farther he went. He stopped right next to a row of dwarf palm trees and heaved a breath, causing a sob to break out. Every inch of muscle in his body was trembling. 

A pair of arms wound around him from behind and the scent of citrus musk was the only clue Masato needed to know they were Ren's. He was pulled close against a solid, broad chest. He turned within Ren's embrace and pressed his face on Ren's shoulder.

Ren planted a kiss on his temple, murmuring, "I'm sorry, Masa. I'm sorry."

Masato had no idea what Ren was apologizing for but the way he spoke — soft and intimate — chased away all the fear and uncertainties that brewed inside him earlier. He coiled his arms around Ren's middle and they stayed like that for a while, not minding the passersby. They were in their own world. 

When Masato felt calm enough, he said, "Let's go back," so Ren pulled up the Grab app on his phone to book a ride back to the hotel.

Ren was mostly quiet from the time they arrived at the hotel until their flight back to Japan the next day.

*

Masato had the entire Tuesday off and as far as he knew, Ren did as well. They practically had the same schedule for the entire month of January. Or at least the first two weeks. He wanted to do something for Ren for a change, maybe take him out for lunch or cook lunch and invite him over. Maybe they could indulge in a movie marathon. 

So Masato sent Ren a message and waited.

And waited some more.

Ten minutes had gone by but there was still no response so Masato tried calling only to be thrown straight to voicemail. "Hey," he said after hearing the beep. "I was thinking of cooking up some curry and was wondering if you'd like to join me for lunch. Call me and let me know."

Five minutes. Ten minutes. Twenty minutes. Thirty minutes flew past and yet, he still hadn't heard back from Ren.

Masato left the comfort of his home and knocked on Ren's door. Well, technically, he rang the doorbell first then knocked on the door when no response came. There didn't seem to be anyone around. So he just pushed it to the back of his mind, thinking that Ren probably went over to his brother's place. He just spent the rest of the day cleaning his apartment and tried not to think of Ren.

His phone screamed murder at six in the morning the next day. "Hello," he said, his mind still traipsing along that fine line between slumberland and the land of the living.

"Makkun," a familiar voice said, nudging at Masato's sleepy brain. It was Tsukimiya Ringo — Hyuga, Ryuya's assistant. "I'm just calling to let you know that your flight to Taiwan today had been cancelled because of a storm that had hit the country. We will be shuffling rosters so you'll be on a flight to Vietnam tomorrow instead. Departure time is at 1:15. You know the drill. Be at the airport at eleven in the morning or earlier."

"Okay, thank you," was all the response his brain could manage to squeeze out. He checked his phone and found a message from Hyuga. It was basically a confirmation of what Tsukimiya had told him. Someone else would probably be assigned to handle the rescheduled flight to Taiwan.

This meant he had this day off as well. He tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. His mind had a jumpstart and the cogwheels in his head started turning and interlocking and —

Masato was so damn restless he wanted to haul all his clothes out of the closet and do the laundry. Or maybe he could repaint the walls in his living room. Maybe he should just go running. Yep. Running would be good. It hadn't snowed for days so the park should be clear.

Without a second thought, he got dressed and slipped his running shoes on. He tried knocking on Ren's door on his way to the elevator but no one came. 

Before heading out of the building, Masato slipped his earphones on and started his running playlist. Then he made his way to the park where he could run laps.

Several cars were already out in the street at this hour. The park wasn't crowded yet. The few people that were there were either jogging or taking a stroll or walking their dogs. There were patches of snow in the grass but the pathway had been cleared. The chill in the air nipped at his exposed skin but Masato embraced it and surged through the cold.

His legs burned by the time he decided he had had enough so he made his way back to his building. Over an hour had passed by then. Ren's apartment was still silent as a grave.

By noon, Masato was close to pulling his hair out of worry. He made lunch to keep himself preoccupied and when he couldn't resist the itch, he sent Ren a message, claiming he made too much wagyu steak salad — which, he really did — and if Ren would like to have some.

He wasn't really expecting a response so Masato nearly jumped out of his skin when his phone buzzed. 

**From: Jinguji R.  
I'm in Kanagawa visiting my brother. I'll be back tonight.**

Well, at least he was safe and not lying unconscious somewhere. Masato deemed it was enough to know where Ren was. Dinner came and still no Ren. It was close to midnight when he went out of the balcony to see if there was a light pouring from Ren's apartment. He was greeted by nothing but darkness.

Worry gnawed at him so he sent out a text message to ask where Ren was but no reply came. He decided to call before he combust and a familiar authoritative voice answered, "Masato."

"Kurosaki-san?" Masato checked his phone's screen to make sure he had dialed the right number. It did show Jinguji R. He pressed the phone back against his ear and said, "Why are you… I mean—"

"Ren is here. At my place," Kurosaki said then he cleared his throat, which sounded like an awkward cough. "Came to me drunk off his ass and whining that he's ruining it with you."

Kurosaki knew about their past so Masato wouldn't be surprised he went to seek Kurosaki's advice. God, he wanted to hit his head against the wall for throwing tantrums in Bangkok like some teenager who couldn't control his emotions. 

"Can you… Can you let him stay with you tonight?" Masato couldn't deny he was worried and concerned and wouldn't want Ren to get into an accident. 

"Of course," Kurosaki said with a scoff. "I can't possibly send him home looking like this. Just…" There was a pause, like maybe Kurosaki was weaving words in his head. "Talk to him."

Masato knew he should. It was just that… he wasn't ready for Ren. Ren just showed up all too sudden and everything that had happened since then had been like a whirlwind that had hit him in the least expected ways.

"I will," he promised Kurosaki. He just wasn't sure it was a promise that he would be able to keep.

  


  



End file.
